Balloons over Paris

For years (about 15 of them, in fact), I was convinced that I had invented two movies that I could have sworn I’d seen as a child. I vaguely remembered certain scenes, but they were weird and didn't seem to fit in with the Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers shows that I endlessly watched. Were they actually dreams that I had? Did I make up the movies entirely? One, which I thought I’d seen in elementary school, involved a French boy chasing a red balloon around a city; the other was a movie in which Fred Savage travelled around the country to play in a Nintendo tournament. I am, of course, talking about The Red Balloon and The Wizard…two movies that actually do exist. And while I don’t think I will be revisiting The Wizard anytime soon, I did re-watch The Red Balloon this weekend. I can honestly say that I loved every second. It’s simple and almost entirely silent, but it is captivating, cute and inspiring. If you have thirty minutes, you can watch a version (albeit in low resolution) here. Award: Oscar.